Other Creatures of Concern

One day I
was walking past our pond on my way to the mail box. I
heard wings flapping from what was obviously a large bird.
Since a Great Blue Heron like to spend time there, I
assumed it was him and started looking through tree
branches to locate him. Before I got a peek at him I heard
what sounded like a branch crashing through the trees. My
initial thought was that the heron knocked it loose as
he took off.

I was
watching intently so I could dodge the falling branch when
I saw the most amazing site... a 3 foot rattlesnake
falling first over one branch and then another. Standing
there with my mouth open, I finally saw the Red Tail Hawk
that had apparently just picked the snake up for lunch.
Well, it was the snakes lucky day. I made enough noise I
scared the hawk into letting him go... before the hawk
killed him.

The snake
tumbled to the ground about 3 feet from me, tumbled down
the embankment into the pond and swam away. Incredible!!!!
Every day is National Geographic Day out here!

As I was
relating this story in a group a few days later, one woman
was aghast. "How," she said, "could you
live around rattlesnakes?" "Well," I asked,
where do you live? She named a
snake free suburb. "Oh really," I
responded... do you realize you are in far more danger
from your neighbors than I ever am from a rattlesnake?"

That
stopped the conversation immediately because it's
absolutely true... especially if you take the time to
learn about the snakes behavior and when you are or aren't
in danger.

There are hundreds of species of birds, insects, mammals
and reptiles all around. Most are just fun to watch, but there are a few
that you must watch out for...

Skunks

Everyone knows what these pretty creatures look like. They're
extremely beautiful... that's why so many are kept as pets (bred
and raised for that purpose, not brought in from the wild). The
one thing to remember about skunks in our area, is that they
almost always carry rabies.

The rule of thumb is, if you see the skunk during the day, it's
probably rabid. If you're so inclined, shoot it and call animal
control to dispose of it. You're actually doing a kindness to the
animal by putting it down since as the disease spreads it can
cause blindness, confusion, and sever illness before they die
naturally.

But, if you're uncomfortable with shooting it and just call
animal control, the skunk will be long gone before they
arrive.

Just be sure you, your family and your pets stay away. And
always be sure your pets are vaccinated
against rabies.menu

Be on the lookout for snakes on your outings during the spring and summer.
The warm temperatures and longer daylight hours that stimulate people to get out and enjoy nature also trigger the same response in snakes. Also,
be more watchful for rattlesnakes when there's development going
on around you. This year two 10 acre parcels about 1/4 mile from
us were cleared for new homes. We've had MANY more rattlesnakes
this year as a result. We notice a higher population every time
their habitat is being disturbed within about 1/2 mile.

Snakes lead the list of most misunderstood and feared of all animals. The rattlesnake is the only type of snake in California
that is dangerous to humans, but unfortunately, many harmless snakes have met untimely deaths at the hands of
shovel-wielding humans. Gopher snakes are often misidentified as
rattle snakes because their coloring and markings look similar,
below are the things to look for to tell the difference.

Snakes are an important part of the natural food chain, eating a great variety of prey, from rats and
birds to frogs and other reptiles. Besides their ecological value, snakes offer the careful wildlife viewer a chance to watch one
of nature's most efficient predators.

If you encounter a rattlesnake, move away and watch for these tell-tale signs that you are too close. First, a rattlesnake, in
fact most snakes, will coil into a defensive posture if they cannot escape by crawling away.

If you continue to get closer, the rattlesnake will warn you with its distinctive
rattle. According to experts, a rattlesnake is born with it's
first button, then within 7 - 10 days it sheds and gains another
button, with these two buttons it is able to rattle and you will be
able to hear it. With each subsequent shed, up to once per month if
they are getting a lot of food, they gain a new button on their rattle,
then as the top rattles become fractured and worn, they break off.
After their first year or two, they will have more than a few buttons
to their rattle.

The last defensive move of any snake is to strike. Unless you completely
surprise a snake by accidentally stepping on it, reaching into a potted
plant or under a bush where one is sleeping (wear elbow-high leather
gloves while gardening), or reaching up onto a ledge, you will receive fair warning. Remember, all of
these warnings are meant to help avoid conflict. If you use good wildlife viewing skills, you will be able to spot these
behaviors early so you can step back and enjoy these creatures with little risk.

Young rattlesnakes are NOT likely to inject more venom than mature
snakes as the old wives tales would have you believe. These little guys are found in some rather
unlikely places like out on your lawn. Consequently they're easy
to step on if you're not watching where you're going. Also,
they're cold blooded creatures so they're pretty still in the cool
mornings and evenings and will become more active as the day warms
up.

Thank you to Jerry Feldner and
Katherine Parks for correcting some errors on this page.

Rattlesnake

Gopher Snake

As you can see, the coloring and markings of these snakes
are similar. But the heads and tails are not.

A rattlesnake (above) has a much more triangular head than
does the gopher snake (right). That means the area that
meets the body is much wider when looking at the two side
by side.

A rattlesnake's body in
generally fatter in the middle than a gopher snake of the
same length. This gopher snake was easily three times
longer than the rattlesnake, but the center girth was
close to the same.

And the tails are distinctly different as well. The
rattlesnake (above) has "buttons", or rattles. The
gopher snake's tail (right) simple tapers off.

My
own observations concluded that the other
differentiating factor is that gopher snake skins are
shiny while rattle snakes are dull, but I've learned this
has to do with shedding of the skin, not the difference in
the type of snake.

If you are bitten, the University of California, Santa
Barbara indicates that the following are the possible CLINICAL
EFFECTS - Snake venoms are highly complex mixtures of many
proteins and peptides, including some enzymes; these may cause
local effects such as inflammation, damage to vascular epithelium,
and tissue necrosis. Some venoms can also cause neurotoxicity and
interfere with blood clotting.

The effects of rattlesnake bites are extremely variable and
depend on the following factors: 1) the age, size vigor, and
health of the victim; 2) the susceptibility of the victim to
protein poisoning; 3) the emotional condition of the victim --
extreme fear will affect heart action and therefore the rate of
venom absorption; 4) the site of the bite; 5) the nature of the
bite -- whether a direct strike with both fangs, or a glancing
blow or scratch; 6) the number of bites; 7) the length of time the
snake holds on, because it may withdraw or be torn loose before
injection; 8) the extent of the snake's fear or anger -- the
snake's natural tendency is to withhold venom for its next prey,
but if hurt or violently excited, it will probably inject most of
its venom; 9) the species, size and age of the snake, the venom
quality, and depth of envenomation; 10) the condition of the venom
glands -- whether full or partially depleted because of recent
feeding, defense, or ill health; 11) the condition of the fangs,
whether broken, lately renewed, or ready for shedding; 12) the
presence of toxic microorganisms in the snake's mouth -- this is
the main source of poison in the gila monster, the only worrisome
lizard in the USA.

Pit viper envenomation may cause severe pain, usually occurring
almost immediately after the bite, but it may also be painless.
Swelling, erythema, and ecchymosis may occur locally, and later,
blebs may form near the puncture site and spread along the swollen
limb. Regional effects, as with a bite on a hand or foot (the most
common locations), often include edema of the arm or leg (which
may be massive), ecchymosis, and lymphadenopathy. Systemic signs
and symptoms can include weakness, sweating, chills, numbness, and
paresthesias of the tongue and perioral region, nausea and
vomiting (which can be so severe that the esophagus ruptures),
muscle fasciculations, bleeding hypotension, convulsions,
respiratory depression, and renal failure.

Rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal. Victims will usually
complain of pain at the bite site and swelling may be evident.
Tremendous local tissue destruction can ensue. Prompt medical
therapy avoids this problem.
End
UCSB Information

Pioneers used to treat snake bites by cutting
between the fang marks and sucking (by mouth) out the venom then
spitting it out. This treatment, or some form close to it, was the
accepted first aid method for years. It is not particularly
effective and has several potential negative effects such as
infection of the wound area and / or poisoning the person doing
the sucking. This is NOT the current recommended treatment. Click
here for information on handling a
rattlesnake
bite emergency.

One
neighbor recently moved in from the Bay Area
(California) and had several dogs. She allowed her dogs
to get on her bed... even under the sheets. That might
seem cute, but when the ticks come out in the spring, I
can guarantee that ticks will leave her dogs and come
seeking other warm blooded hosts -- their owners!
Needless to say, this isn't a good practice in tick
territory.

----------

One
evening my husband and I walked over to our pond. It was
dusk and we were watching the sunset from the dock and
marveling at the bats out feeding. Before I knew it, a
bat landed on my hand. We had a fast look at each other.
Personally I found him fascinating, but I guess the
sentiment wasn't shared by my little visitor since he
didn't stay long.

-----------------

(Ric's
Close Encounter...)
When we first moved into our house, both Jody & I
were exhausted most of the time from the remodel we were
doing.

Jody
went to bed early so I went outdoors for what I thought
was a little walk. As I opened the door a bat came in
the house. As she slept I was running around the house,
opening all the windows and doors, removing the screens
and trying to head him back outdoors. I could just
picture him landing on her forehead or something. I was
finally successful, but too tired to take my walk.

Unbelievably,
Jody slept through the whole thing!

Scorpions

The scorpions in this area only get to be about 1.5 inches long.
They're dark brown and if you're going to see one it'll usually be
in a wood pile or under a rock, although the only ones (3) I've
personally seen were all in our house (don't panic... if you
missed the other note about this, our house sat vacant for some
time before we moved in. The critters had plenty of time to
invade). I'm still checking on the virility of their sting, but
from personal reports, it was about like a bee sting.menu

Killer Bees (Africanized Bees)

According to entomologists,
Africanized bees look like regular
honey bees. Africanized bees sting only once, but, the problem
lies in the swarms. They are like standard honey bees in every respect
except their dedication to defending their hive. Their sting venom is
the same potency as regular bees and their stinger pulls out when they
do sting, allowing for one sting each. Instead of the 10 - 40 that come
out of a normal honey bee's hive for defense, they send 100 - 400+, and
have a dogged determination to attack everything that is moving in the
area. A recent study proves that the Africanized bees will chase
someone up to 100 yards instead of 10-15 yards with regular bees.

They are not currently found in
Northern California, but are working their way up the state a
little each year. The map indicates the territory they can now be
found in. Please visit the universities listed below for
details.

A recent special on "The Animal Planet" concludes the
best thing to do if being attacked, is to run as far away from the
hive as quickly as possible since they're very territorial. There
is extensive information on Africanized Bees online at various
California entomology sites:University of
California, Riverside
San Diego Countymenu

Brown Recluse Spiders

The website below presents evidence for
the lack of brown recluse spiders as part of the Californian
spider fauna. Unfortunately, this contradicts what most
Californians believe; beliefs that are born out of media-driven
hyperbole and erroneous, anxiety-filled public hearsay which is
further compounded by medical misdiagnoses. Although people are
free to disagree, this opinion has come about after almost a
decade of constant research. In addition to personal experience,
the sources for this opinion encompasses conversations with,
interactions with, and the cumulative knowledge of the following,
who have experience or expertise in the state of California and,
in some cases, are national or international experts: Click
Here for more details.

Rick
Vetter
Department of Entomology
University of California, Riverside, CA

Black Widow Spiders

Black Widow is considered the most venomous spider in
North America.
The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of
the prairie rattlesnake.
Black Widow spiders are not usually deadly, especially to adults,
because they inject only a small amount of venom.
Only the female Black Widow is venomous; males and juveniles are
harmless.
The female Black Widow eats the male after mating.
The female Black Widow hangs belly upward and rarely leaves the web.
The Black Widow is also called the "hourglass" or
"shoe-button" spider.From
Desert USA

Ticks

You might wonder why the discussion of ticks isn't left for the
"pets" section. It is, but you'll find it here as
well because they do pose some threat to humans.

Lyme disease is carried by ticks and as humans and nature come
closer and closer together, humans are getting exposed to Lyme
disease more often. The sites below will provide photos and
detailed information about Lyme Disease and how to recognize the
ticks that carry it and its early symptoms.Lyme
Disease Information - Pfizer CorporationLyme
Disease in California

Another tick born disease surfaced in Northern California in
2000 and then with only one known case in Sonoma county -- until a
neighbor became ill with it in January 2001.
Hers is the first known case in the Gold Country of California.

It's called Ehrlichiosis.

Ehrlichiosis is caused by an extremely small type of bacterium
known as Ehrlichiae. Ehrlichiae are closely related to Rickettsiae,
the type of bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).
Ehrlichiae invade, and live within, white blood cells
(leucocytes), which are part of the immune system. The disease is
transmitted by ticks.

The first known case of human ehrlichiosis was caused by an
organism which was identified as Ehrlicha chaffeensis. It infects
mononucular phagocytes and is now called human monocytic
ehrlichiosis (HME). About 425 cases, including 1 0 deaths, have
been reported from 30 states, Europe and Africa. Another recently
described emerging tick-borne disease is human granulocytic
ehrlichiosis (HGE). It infects human granulocytes, another type of
immune cell. Since 1990, more than 170 people, mostly from the
upper Midwestern and northeastern states, and northern California,
have become acutely ill and several have died from HGE infections.

Symptoms - Clinical and laboratory manifestations of
infection with HME or HGE are similar. Patients usually complain
of fever, headache, chills, malaise, muscle and joint pains,
beginning one to 21 (average seven) days following infection. Some
have nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and acute weight loss as well.
In HME, cough, sore throat, swollen glands, diarrhea, and swollen
glands were noted in one quarter of patients. Low counts of white
blood cells and platelets occur in over 60%, while 86% have
elevated liver enzymes by the time they seek medical attention.
Symptoms vary greatly in severity, ranging from a mild illness to
a severe, life-threatening condition. Deaths have occurred in
approximately 2% to 3% of patients, including previously healthy
children.

In HGE the clinical picture is similar, although in one study
abnormal blood counts and liver enzymes were not noted. Rarely, a
spotted rash may appear about one week after onset of the illness,
and, unlike that of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, does not usually
involve the palms and soles. The severity of the illness is
reflected in the rates of hospitalization (56%), admission to an
intensive care unit (7%), and death (7 to 10%).

Note: The neighbor's case started with a tick that became imbedded
in her hair. Once removed, the wound failed to heal for 12-14
days. The onset of symptoms started shortly after the bite, but
was not diagnosed for several months. This is not a well-known
disease in this area. We recommend if you get a tick bite to go to
the address below and print the entire article to take to your
doctor.

Always wear long pants in high grasses, and whenever
possible, wear large socks and put your socks over the leg of
your pants.

Wear a hat when you're working or walking under trees. Ticks
can drop down from the trees.

If you've been outdoors where you might be exposed to ticks,
be sure to check yourself over the next time you shower. If
you find a tick use a tweezers to remove it, and make a note
of the date and type of tick in case you develop any symptoms
of Lyme or Ehrlichiosis disease later on. If you have any doubts about the
kind of tick, simply put it on clear scotch tape, fold a piece
of tape over it and preserve it to show a doctor if necessary.

Creepy Critters That Are Really OK

Bats

Bats
have distinctive
echolocation calls,
described by
scientists as
high-pitched, metallic
"pings."

The bat, considered a
very fast flyer, has
been found in
Ponderosa pine forests
and rocky deserts of
the West.

Bats eat lots of bugs, don't carry rabies any
more than other species of animal, and are endangered in many
areas of California because their habitat is being lost to humans. Bat Conservation
Organizationmenu

Snakes (non-venomous)

There are a number of beautiful snakes in California. They
serve a vital function in the balance of nature. If you kill all
snakes, you'll have more rodents and bugs. Please learn about
these wonderful creatures and don't just kill all snakes because
you haven't taken the time to educate yourself or your family.
Here are some shortcuts to lots of education about snakes.